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In the spirit of accountability and disclosure, CMU's ACEJMC (Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communication)-accredited Department of Journalism is committed to publishing annually its enrollment (Table 1), retention, and graduation information (Table 2) for the public on this website.

Since the 2007-08 academic year (AY), 1,031 students have declared a major in the journalism department. Sixty-one percent (N = 632) have persisted as majors. Eighty-one percent (N = 514) of continuing majors have graduated from departmental programs in an average of 2.25 years since signing major. In AY 2014-15, 109 new students, who have signed majors since August 15, 2013, will join 119 continuing majors.

It should be noted that the department serves hundreds of interdisciplinary majors and hundreds of minors, but for purposes of this report, the focus is on declared JRN-designated majors. View the complete report here​.

Between AY 2007-08 and AY 2013-14, the department annually served an average of 266 majors, retaining an average of 73% of non-graduating majors from academic year to academic year. The department graduated an average of 26% of majors each academic year.

In order to promote reader comprehension of Table 2's data, AY 2008-2009 will be explained. During AY 2008-09, 287 "majors" were enrolled in the Department of Journalism. Of enrolled majors, 85 graduated, resulting in a 30% "graduation rate" for AY 2008-09. Among the remaining 202 (AY 2008-09) majors, 169 continued as majors to AY 2009-10 resulting in an 84% "retention rate." Based on similar procedures, data for the seven​ academic years prior to 2014-15 are reported in Table 2.

Although the department does not admit students on a cohort basis, Table 3 provides information about the year-to-year retention and graduation of students by academic year (AY) of major declaration. For example, in AY 2007-08, 106 students newly signed majors. Eighty-three percent of those students continued in Fall 2008. By the end of AY 2008-09, 34% had graduated. Forty-six percent of AY 2007-08 majors continued in Fall 2009 with an additional 18% graduating by the end of the AY 2009-10. Finally, in AY 2010-11, 22% of the AY 2007-08 class remained with an additional 17% graduating by year's end. Data are similarly reported for AY 2008-09 through AY 2014-15 in Table 3, as available.

Placement data are presented in Table 4 for students who graduated with majors in journalism from AY 2009-10 to AY 2013-14. The data represents information from 240 out of 339 graduates or 71% of the ​graduates during that period. The percentages of those employed in their discipline, outside their discipline, unemployed, attending graduate school, or interning are reported.

Table 1: Undergraduate Enrollment as of the 2014-2015 Academic Year​​

​

Journalism Major Concentration Area​

​

Advertising*​

​1

​News Editorial**

​42

​Photojournalism*

​1

​Public Relations

​25

​Advertising Major

91

​Online Journalism Major**

​32

​Photojournalism Major

​36

​Total

​228

*"Concentrations" have been replaced by "majors" and are being phased out of the curriculum.

**The “News Editorial Concentration” and the “Online Journalism Major” will be phased out from spring in AY 2013-14 and replaced by the singular “Journalism” major.

The Department of Journalism is focused on student success, providing the necessary support for students to stay in the program, graduate on time and succeed in their professional aspirations. Our focus includes:

* Recruitment and Retention: We annually reach out to high school principals and careers counselors to encourage them to have students consider journalism at CMU. We also participate in CCFA Day, CMU Day, and other informational recruitment sessions. We run the Digital Discovery Workshop, aimed at providing high school students with the opportunity to discover journalism at CMU. We provide students with all the resources necessary to achieve their goals.

* Hands-on Advising: The unit’s faculty and staff provide hands-on attention to students, working with them individually through personalized academic and careers advising to enable them discover their aspirations and their strengths.

* Committed Faculty: Journalism faculty members bring to the classroom advanced degrees and years of combined professional experience across a variety of media-related disciplines. They provide students with essential insights into specific careers and contacts throughout the media industries. They also update curriculum on a regular basis, introducing new courses and working with students to build their brands and their entrepreneurial ability.

* Internships and Career Placements: An academic adviser works specifically with students on internships and career placements, liaising with alumni and employers to obtain high-caliber internships for students and jobs for emerging graduates.

* Relevant experiences: Students can engage in extra-curricular activities such as workshops and conferences run by professional organizations. They also can engage in co-curricular activities such as the Grand Central e-zine practicum and work on Central Michigan Life, the campus student publication. The department provides monetary support for student travel to conferences such as the Society of Professional Journalists’ Mark of Excellence Awards competition, the AdFed competition, and the Michigan Press Association, Michigan Press Photographers Association, National Press Photographers Association, and the Online News Association conventions.

* Chair Advisory Council: Students engage in regular consultative sessions with the department chair through the Chair Advisory Council, a council of select students who deal with matters of curriculum, diversity, teaching, extra- and co-curricular opportunities and other matters.

* Awards and Scholarships: The unit offers awards and scholarships to students in the program and hosts an annual Awards and Scholarships Luncheon to honor award-winning students.

* Open-door policies and 24/7 availability: Faculty are always available for consultation via their 24/7 availability to all students via email, phone calls and on-campus presence. The chair has an open-door policy and readily responds to student calls.